making news in america this morning. slowing the surge. the president's new plan to ease pain at the pump. also, severe storms, tornadoes, torrential rains and some areas more than a foot of snow. and nature's fireworks. an explosive weekend at the country's most active volcano. good morning, everyone. thanks for being with us today. is it a topic for most of us. the recent surge in gas prices. this morning, the president is considering drastic measures to turn it around. >> here's why. according to one survey, the average price for a gallon of gas is $3.47.

that is 73 cents higher than last year at this time. >> so what exactly account white house do in all of this? emily schmidt has details from washington. hi, emily. >> reporter: peggy and rob, good morning to you. the calendar says march, but it might as well be memorial day when it comes to gas prices. they are going up higher and faster than anytime in history. and now, some are asking the president, what are you going to do about it. with gas prices skyrocketing, americans are reaching their limits earlier. >> see, just $16. i cannot afford to fill up the tank. >> reporter: the nationwide average is $3.51 a gallon. a new lundberg survey says that's up 33 cents in two week. the second biggest price increase on record means spending more. >> up until this point, $50 about every two weeks. and now, it's gone up to $60 every two weeks, now, we're up to almost $75. >> reporter: the prices spiked along with the middle east uprising.

so far there are no shortages, just worries. the white house says it's considering of tapping into the 727 million barrels of u.s. strategic oil reserves. >> it's something done on rare occasions. >> the strategic oil reserve is there for emergencies. this is not an emergency. >> reporter: one oil analyst says there's political pressure. for the president to lower prices. >> he can say, i can do something, and you are better off. what elected official would not want to do that. >> reporter: in the meantime, the squeeze is on. >> it's hard to ask our customers for increases right now. so we really have to suck it up and that really hurts. >> reporter: leaving drivers and gas tanks with an increasingly empty feeling. some analysts say when gas gets above $4 a gallon demands prices drop. but in many parts of the country, $4 a gallon gas is now a reality. rob and peggy.

>> emily, thanks a lot. that unrest in the middle east shows no signs of slowing. in libya, rebel forces say they're going to regroup and bring in heavy weapons. this after a punishing weekend of air strikes by forces loyal to leader moammar gadhafi. rebels pushed to toward the capital tripoli sunday. gadhafi forces pounded the opposition, fighters with artillery, rockets and gunfire. the white house is under mounting pressure to come up with a plan to address that escalation in fighting. well, there's a showdown looming between a powerful u.s. lawmaker and some members of the american muslim community. representative peter king is holding a hearing on thursday on whether u.s. muslims are becoming more radical. about 300 people protested in new york's times square yesterday about the proposed hearing. among the demonstrators, hip hop mogul russell simmons. >> what i wanted to do right now, not go down the same road, but wholesome unity with the

fault of actions of a few. >> he told people at a mosque yesterday that he sees muslims as part of the solution of fighting terror. and no signs of easing the governor scott walker's proposal to strip union workers of their bargaining rights got together in madison yesterday. but they were outnumbered outside. by demonstrators who claim that walker's plan is just the way to bust the state's unions. the report in this morning's "wall street journal" says that wisconsin's democratic state senators who have been on the lam in illinois for weeks now expect to return to vote on walker's proposal soon. a big chunk of the country is recovering from some wild weather that has triggered tornadoes, snowstorms, even drenching rain out there. a tour bus actually crashed in northern pennsylvania last night. leaving at least one person dead. it is not clear if freezing rain and snow played a role in that. larry j larry jacobs has more on the latest wave of severe weather. >> reporter: severe storms hit

north carolina last night, wake county, outside of raleigh, there were reports of a tornado and a powerful thunderstorm. >> one of my granddaughters was out running and she said she saw it coming across the field. and it was about 500 feet up in the air, from what she could tell, just a swirl of debris, so it's pretty scary. >> reporter: police had to block roads because so many trees were down. one house caught fire, possibly from a bolt of lightning. >> by the time we got up, it was just the wind. looked to the front and we saw the damage there and then it was gone. >> reporter: elsewhere in north carorainfall rainfall hit the asheville area, making roads impassible. flash flood watches and warnings went into effect for the weekend. as the white river crests neighbors are ready with waders and boats. more rain is expected across indiana tomorrow, adding to the threat. but in new england, there are fears of floods along connecticut's farmington river. the river is rapidly rising because of downpours.

where else in in new england, a snowstorm could make matters worse as property owners take precautions. and in the small town of rayne, louisiana, a deadly twister ripped through over the weekend. utility crews will do their best to restore electric power, after a nightmarish storm. larry jacobs, abc news, new york. for the forecast around the country. it will be stormy out west. rain from seattle up to san francisco. up to 2 feet of snow in the sierras and heavy snow in the rockies moving later to the plains. a clipper is bringing light snow from michigan. snow wraps up in vermont and maine. 80 in miami. 60s from new orleans to dallas. a high of 47 in kansas. 33 in minneapolis. 13 in fargo. phoenix warms up to 73. sacramento, 60. boise, 46. danger a look at this as we're getting a look at dramatic

pictures from hawaii weighs kilau kilau kilauea volcano. a new vent opened on saturday. scientists say it could collapse without warning. lethal gas can be present even far downwind. kilauea has been erupting since 1983. >> spectacular pictures. coming up next, a peanut butter recall. a brand you that might find in your kitchen. that's right. and another teen athlete dies during a game. what is causing this? what can be done to prevent such loss? plus, busted. the firemen who took their truck out for a spin after a few drdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdr

as we mentioned earlier, oil is still rising because of the unrest in the middle east. prices topped $106 a barrel in asia this morning. and the white house is now considering tapping the strategic petroleum to bring the prices down. the spike has sent gas soaring 33 cents a gallon in the last two weeks. one of the biggest two-week jumps on record. overseas stocks are lower on that concern as they derail the global economic recovery. tokyo's nikkei average tumbled 1.8%. tokyo's nikkei tumbled 0.8%. london, the ftse opened lower. on wall street, the nasdaq picks up 3 points. if the airlines are taking you for a ride now with all the fees, just wait.

many carriers are considering charging for things that were never part of a ticket. get this. "the wall street journal" reports that carriers are testing for fees for insurance, seats that recline more and higher-end food. some jars of skippy peanut butter are being pulled off the shelf because of possible salmonella contamination. skippy reduced fat creamy and reduced fat super chunk. you can check abcnews.com for details. the good news for "rango." took on $38 million in ticket sales. it features the voice of johnny depp as rango. a wild west chameleon sheriff. "the adjustment bureau." opened in second place. and "beastly" debuted in third. and winning the best picture did not take in at the box office,

the king's speech" dropped. >> the only picture that did worse after being best picture "no country for old men." >> interesting. some people might have stayed away for that reason. a dramatic rescue from a blazing gulf oil rig. and also, party time in the big easy. ♪ there are milestones that no parent wants to miss. let's see, there's first steps. first words. first time riding a bike without training wheels. and the first vacation memory that will last till roughly... forever. now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ]

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♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have anallergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms and works when you need it most. benadryl®. .you can't pause life. the famous parade of mardi gras back on the streets of new orleans after most were washed out by heavy rain on saturday. the festivities in the big easy will only be getting better today. mardi gras will start tuesday. tomorrow is the official end to carnival season in new orleans. a city that knows how to throw a party. >> i think you've been there once or twice yourself.

>> i've had 11 mardi grass when i live there had. wet and flooded on i-95 from new york to maine. i-90 from boston to albany. wet on i-5 from seattle to portland and windy in southern california. >> if you're flying today, expect airport delays in seattle, salt lake city, denver, minneapolis and boston. and now the story that's getting a lot of attention this morning. it involves young people. seemingly very healthy young people, suddenly dying during physical activity. >> last week, we told you about wes leonard there on the left he died after a basketball game. and now the case of matthew hammerdorfer. >> reporter: 17-year-old rugby player matthew hammerdorfer took a powerful hit to the chest and

died. it's caused by a condition known as sudden cardiac death. experts say it happens far too often to young athletes in the prime of their life. it's estimated as many as 1 in 350 kids may have dangerous underlying heart condition. >> athletes are probably at higher risk than the general population because they exercise more. ironically, we know exercise is a healthy benefit for all of us. in some persons with an underlying heart condition, exercise can be the trigger. >> reporter: matthews death comes just day, after michigan high school basketball player wes leonard collapsed and died after the winning shot for his team. >> it's just tearing me up. he was just a kd with a passion you that just don't get to see all the time. >> reporter: young people dying of heart failure, it's far more common than most of us realize. stories like these are being repeated around the country. with estimates as high as one

death every three days. support groups like parent heartwatch are trying to prevent the tragedies. they say athletes should get mandatory screening with an ekg. it's significantly lowered the death in italy. but medical experts say the huge costs could outweigh the benefits. and they encourage to have heart defibrillators at games. friends say matthew hammerdorfer was always smiling, always ready with a joke. and now many are calling attention to a most serious problem. clayton sandell, abc news, ft. collins, colorado. >> many spent the weekend mourning his death. dozens turned out with a memorial service honoring him. also black flags have been placed all around team. the team plays its first tournament game without leonard tonight.

>> the other of a college student who was missing in spain says she's certain her son will be found. friends say the student had been drinking beforehand and did not appear to feel well. the astronauts aboard space shuttle "discovery p and around this morning after being awakened by the theme of "star trek" appropriately so. an 79 missions it's inlocking from the space station for the last time. "endeavour" final flight is set for april and "atlantis" in june. in the gulf of mexico, an oil rig suddenly caught fire. two men evacuated and were eventually picked up by a passing by ship. no oil from that rig escaped into the water. and some volunteer firefighters over the weekend had that drinks and took their

rigs out for a spin. this happened along a winding road. t forced a police officer off the road. the same officer pulled the driver over. the driver behind the wheel was charged with dui. many college basketball conference tournaments are under way, kicking into high gear later for today. here is will selva at espn news. good morning, it has been a rough stretch for the miami heat. and it just got rougher as they took on the bulls. that game was on abc. derrick rose, focused as he always is. under four minutes to go. bulls up by four. rose buries the "j." bulls up by six. heat down. mario chalmers, the heat tie it up at 84-84. under 30 seconds to go. lebron. chalmers. and chalmers knows exactly what to do with it.

luol deng, a foul line. deng, this is a foul shot. loose ball. deng fouled again. the bulls take an 87-86 lead. final possession of regulation. lebron can't finish. wade, huh-uh. bulls end up winning it 87-86. in the series versus miami. number one wisconsin, number one ohio state. the senior, the buckeyes go undefeated at home for the second time in less than 20 seasons. 17 of 20 from downtown in the past two games. william buford. he can shoot as well. buford with 18 points. buckeyes up by 15. jerry saling dold several people he wanted to beat them badly

like 22 points. ohio state finishing undefeated at home for the second time in the past 20 seasons. that will do it for this espn news update. back to you in new york. >> and let's not forget that my tar heels did beat duke over the weekend. just had to put that out there. coming up next. new signs that donald trump is eyeing the white house. and also coming up later, the first images of lindsay lohan now making the famous visit to a hollywood star. and charlie sheen. hot waffles...

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♪ are you getting any loving? ♪ ♪ if other people do, so can you ♪ ♪ have a little joy [ female announcer ] how does your next week look? why not get away and book a royal caribbean cruise at royalcaribbean.com today? let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. i am a banker with quicken loans. this is kathy, who i helped do her first home loan, and this is her sister tina, who i also helped do her first home loan. it was unbelievable how well it all fell together. kathy said, "well, let me give you rachel's number." easy. easy. easy. the whole loan process was simple and convenient! that's why i love quicken loans! [ male announcer ] and you'll be glad to know j.d. power and associates ranks quicken loans "highest in customer satisfaction." to learn more call 800-quicken or visit us online at quickenloans.com.

and now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this monday. there is a lot of cleaning up across the south this morning, after a line of severe storms ripped through the area. a reported tornado is being blamed for leaving a trail of twisted debris in north carolina, just north of raleigh. and the handful of presidential contenders, including donald trump and newt gingrich make appearances in iowa. caucuses in the critical state are less than a year ago. the accused east coast rapist appears in a connecticut court today. police say dna evidence linked aaron thomas, an unemployed truck driver dating all the way back to 1997. the chicago cubs are hiring a new public address announcer at wrigley's field. today is the last day to submit applications. finalists will be submitted next

week and the winner will be hired at the end >>month. coming up, your local news is coming up next. for everybody else, "saturday night live" takes on charlie sheen. ♪ oh, bayer aspirin? oh, no, no, no... i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. trust me. it works great for pain. [ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. no matter where you're hurting. feel better? yeah. thanks for the tip. [ male announcer ] for powerful pain relief, use bayer aspirin. sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. rock. [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most.

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beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! well, after a media blitz that raised eyebrows around the

world, charlie sheen may be ready for a whole new world as a humanitarian. >> sheen says he plans to head to haiti where he will be with sean penn. he used the show titled "sheen's corner" to rant for nearly an hour. >> and, of course, from my big, beautiful warlock brain, welcome to "sheen's corner." a big shoutout to my children. daddy loves you. if you're watching, tell mom to leave the room, it's on. >> and of course, "saturday night live" does not waste any time pouncing on sheen. >> no they did not. they put on a sketch portraying him in a show called "duh winning." >> welcome to the show entitled "duh winning." for those tired and ready to

celebrate warlocks. >> the sketch featured lindsay lohan and libyan leader moammar gadhafi. and other stories in the news, the criminal case against lindsay lohan. that case can get a lot more complicated now at that jewelry store has sold this surveillance tape of low man for a reported 35 grand. >> she's due back in court on thursday. on top of all of this, singer cyndi lauper is proving that she still knows how to grab fun. she grabbed a microphone as tempers flared among trapped travelers. >> where was she on my last flight? that would have helped. that is what's making news in america this morning. >> of course, get more news anyt